Feature Channels: Government/Law

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19-Aug-2009 12:30 PM EDT
Baylor University Economists Call for Different Tack on Health Care Insurance
Baylor University

Two professors at Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business lay out a universal health care plan in their new book Health Care for Us All: Getting More for Our Investment, published by Cambridge University Press, that does not create a government entitlement program or threaten in any way the insurance coverage or health care of Americans who currently have coverage.

Released: 14-Aug-2009 9:00 AM EDT
Expert: Sotomayor and the Sports Law Arena
Central Michigan University

Newly appointed U.S. Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor has participated in several influential sports law decisions throughout her career. A Central Michigan University authority on sports law is available to discuss the most recognized sports law-related cases Judge Sotomayor has participated in and how her opinions have influenced American law in this arena thus far.

Released: 6-Aug-2009 3:30 PM EDT
News Sources on the Appointment of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court / A Hispanic and Historical Perspective
 Johns Hopkins University

Reporters who are looking for expert perspectives on newly confirmed Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor should consider Johns Hopkins University lecturer Adam Segal, director of the Hispanic Voter Project, and Joel Grossman, professor of political science.

Released: 4-Aug-2009 8:00 PM EDT
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Announces Commitment To Support Veterans' Education
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

Rensselaer plans to offer annual scholarships up to $15,000 to qualified admitted individuals, and the match from the Department of Veterans Affairs will add an additional $15,000, if applicable. With the combined total benefit, admitted veterans and eligible dependents under this program will have their tuition and fees fully covered while attending Rensselaer.

Released: 15-Jul-2009 11:00 AM EDT
Public Sees Police Not Keeping Peace in Rowdy Neighbourhoods
Toronto Metropolitan University

Canadian researchers that police are losing the battle of public perception when it comes to their ability to maintain order in troubled neighbourhoods, according to a study released today.

Released: 14-Jul-2009 10:00 AM EDT
Can Land Value Taxes Be Fair? Devil Is in the Details
Dick Jones Communications

Land value taxes can promote economic development by removing disincentives to improve property. But it's hard to determine fairness when switching from a traditional property tax system to a land value tax system because the data on land values and wealth patterns are often inaccurate or uncertain.

   
Released: 10-Jul-2009 5:00 PM EDT
George W. Bush's Court Appointments Emphasized Ideology over Diversity
American University

According to new analysis by American University and Oregon State University professors, the judicial appointments of former president George W. Bush suggest that his motivation for appointing nontraditional judges was driven more by ideology and strategy than concerns for diversity.

Released: 10-Jul-2009 4:00 PM EDT
Law Professors Available for Expert Commentary on Sotomayor Hearing
University of Virginia

Tip sheet of University of Virginia professors available to comment on confirmation hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

Released: 9-Jul-2009 3:00 PM EDT
Obama's Visit to Ghana: Indiana University Experts Comment
Indiana University

Indiana University experts A.B. Assensoh and Yvette M. Alex-Assensoh comment on President Barack Obama's upcoming visit to Ghana. The president, First Lady Michelle Obama and their daughters will visit the African nation Friday and Saturday.

Released: 8-Jul-2009 1:50 PM EDT
University of Illinois at Chicago to Offer E-Government Certificate Online
University of Illinois Chicago

The University of Illinois at Chicago is launching a new online certificate program in e-government for public administrators beginning Aug. 24.

Released: 7-Jul-2009 2:25 PM EDT
Law Expert Can Discuss Empathy and the Law
University of Iowa

The role of emotion and the law will likely be an issue during the upcoming Supreme Court nomination hearings for Sonia Sotomayor. Todd Pettys, a professor of law at the University of Iowa, believes the country's legal system should accept that emotion does, indeed, have a place in the courtroom.

Released: 25-Jun-2009 5:00 PM EDT
Education Law Expert: U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Strip-Search Case Puts School Officials on Notice
University of New Hampshire

Education law expert Todd DeMitchell at the University of New Hampshire has reviewed today's U.S. Supreme Court decision Safford Unified School District #1 v. Redding and provides the following analysis.

Released: 22-Jun-2009 2:00 PM EDT
American Academy of Dermatology Association Commends Texas for Enacting the Most Restrictive Indoor Tanning Law in the Country
American Academy of Dermatology

Today Texas Governor Rick Perry signed a bill into law that will prohibit the use of indoor tanning devices for all Texans under the age of 16.5 and will require in-person parental consent for those between the ages of 16.5 and 18.

Released: 18-Jun-2009 8:40 AM EDT
Professor: Taxing Land Instead of Buildings - A Better Property Tax
University of New Hampshire

The land value tax, an increased tax rate on land and a reduced tax rate on buildings and improvements, can spur urban development and help contain sprawl, but its implementation has been sporadic, according to a new book co-edited by University of New Hampshire Professor Richard England.

Released: 18-Jun-2009 8:35 AM EDT
Securing Adequate Social Security Benefits
University of Maryland, College Park

Social Security's long-term solvency is a "manageable problem" that will not require "drastic action," but federal policy makers need to ensure that benefits are adequate for widows and other vulnerable groups to survive, said University of Maryland professor and former Social Security Commissioner Kenneth Apfel in recent Senate testimony.

Released: 16-Jun-2009 9:40 AM EDT
Ads Attacking Supreme Court Nominees Damage Support of Court
Ohio State University

Nasty, politicized Supreme Court nomination battles may erode public support of the high Court, according to a study of public reactions to the Samuel Alito nomination process. A study found that television advertisements opposing Alito's nomination in 2005 had a disturbing side effect: Many people who viewed those highly political ads become less supportive of the Supreme Court as an institution.

Released: 15-Jun-2009 8:00 AM EDT
Copyright Law Chills Fair Use, Free Expression
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Current copyright law has a chilling effect on Internet expression, a University of Arkansas law professor argues. In "Proving Fair Use: Burden of Proof as Burden of Speech," assistant professor Ned Snow says judicial interpretation of fair use "“ a 150-year-old doctrine that allows people to use copied material in their speech "“ has become so constricted that it inhibits speech.

Released: 4-Jun-2009 4:45 PM EDT
Expert Available to Discuss Events on Korean Peninsula
Indiana University

An Indiana University faculty expert is available to comment on issues related to recent news that North Korea conducted its second nuclear bomb test, that it plans to test a long-range missile and that a successor to leader Kim Jong-il has been selected, as well as other developments on the Korean peninsula.

Released: 4-Jun-2009 3:15 PM EDT
Life Without Parole? Not for Children
Baylor University

As the U.S. House Judiciary Committee holds hearings on proposed legislation to revise sentencing rules for children who are convicted of crimes for which they receive life without parole, the select list of invited experts providing testimony will include a Baylor University Law School professor.

Released: 1-Jun-2009 11:30 AM EDT
African Americans Are More Vulnerable to Welfare Penalties
American Sociological Association (ASA)

African Americans are significantly more likely to be sanctioned by the United States welfare system than whites, according to research published in the June issue of the American Sociological Review, the flagship journal of the American Sociological Association.

Released: 1-Jun-2009 12:00 AM EDT
New Agreement Signals Major Shift in International Arms Control and Disarmament Efforts
Secure World Foundation

An international body dedicated to discussing arms control and disarmament unanimously agreed on a program of work on May 29, opening the door to negotiations on space security, nuclear weapons, and fissile materials.

Released: 29-May-2009 5:00 PM EDT
VCU President Co-Authors Book on Russia/China Relations
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

The University of Missouri Press has just released "Distorted Mirrors: Americans and Their Relations with Russia and China in the Twentieth Century," co-authored by Virginia Commonwealth University President Eugene P. Trani and Donald E. Davis, professor emeritus of history at Illinois State University.

Released: 29-May-2009 11:20 AM EDT
Law Professor: Latina Supreme Court Nominee a 'Reliable Liberal Vote'
Central Michigan University

Central Michigan University law professor comments on President Barack Obama's recent nomination of New York Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court -- which has brought praise from Latino leaders and civil rights and women's advocates around the country.

Released: 28-May-2009 8:00 PM EDT
Judges' Backgrounds Matter in High Court Selection
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Some federal judges are tossing out civil cases based on their own opinions, a disturbing trend that makes background checks even more important in the search for a new associate justice for the U.S. Supreme Court, a University of Illinois legal expert says.

Released: 28-May-2009 8:00 PM EDT
Education Campaign Needed on Social Security, Medicare Woes, Expert Says
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Painful but inevitable Social Security and Medicare reforms will be difficult to sell because years of partisan wrangling have clouded the public's grasp of the programs' dire financial problems, a former government economic adviser warns.

Released: 28-May-2009 2:50 PM EDT
Political Claims Get a Reality Check in "Policy and Evidence in a Partisan Age"
Urban Institute

In "Policy and Evidence in a Partisan Age: The Great Disconnect," Paul Gary Wyckoff presents an accessible, compact, and iconoclastic exploration of the paradox between the exaggerated claims made for public policies and the reality of their limited effectiveness.

Released: 27-May-2009 5:00 PM EDT
Supreme Court Expert Says Confirmation Odds in Sotomayor's Favor
Wake Forest University

President Barack Obama's nominee to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter is historic, says Wake Forest University political science professor Katy Harriger, and the odds of confirmation are in Judge Sonia Sotomayor's favor given the current political context.

Released: 27-May-2009 4:45 PM EDT
Law Professor Argues for Role of Government in Marriage
University of Iowa

Although some commentators have argued that governments should be out of the marriage business--whether straight or gay--University of Iowa law professor Ann Estin believes that marriage is such a strong part of American culture that it demands a government role.

Released: 27-May-2009 10:10 AM EDT
Rural Workers Benefit Most From Unemployment Insurance Changes
University of New Hampshire

Rural workers stand to benefit from the modernization of unemployment insurance (UI) to cover part-time workers, which is an opportunity for states under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Plan (ARRA), a new brief from the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire finds.

Released: 26-May-2009 9:15 PM EDT
Negotiations Can Be Tricky in King Movie, Allen Cases
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

Resolving ownership issues involving the use of a famous person's image, likeness or voice for publicity can be complicated, says intellectual property attorney Jonathan Faber who comments on King movie, Allen cases.

Released: 21-May-2009 3:00 PM EDT
Credit Card Legislation Not A Cure-All, Says Consumer Psychologist
Ithaca College

Legislation intended to protect consumers from the credit card industry by imposing new regulations on fees, disclosures and interest-rate changes may help but is no cure-all, says consumer psychologist Michael McCall.

Released: 19-May-2009 2:50 PM EDT
Law Professor Discusses Controversial Medical Neglect Case
Indiana University

A judge in Minnesota has ruled that a family must get medical treatment for their 13-year-old son's cancer because it is highly treatable. Based on the family's religious convictions, it chose alternative treatments. According to Jody Madeira, a professor at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, a judge correctly found that the parents have medically neglected their son by refusing chemotherapy.

Released: 6-May-2009 2:10 PM EDT
Former Clinton Official Available to Comment on Defense Budget
American University

Defense and foreign policy expert and former Clinton administration official Gordon Adams is available to provide insight into Defense Secretary Robert Gates's defense budget and the challenges it faces in Congress.

Released: 5-May-2009 6:00 AM EDT
Family Literacy Educator to Testify Before Congress
National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL)

Family literacy educator Roberta Lanterman will testify today before the House Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness. She will ask Congress to continue to support family literacy programs as an important and successful component of adult education services.

Released: 4-May-2009 4:00 PM EDT
Online Gambling a Bad Bet for America, Expert Says
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Gambling addictions would soar and an already-sputtering economy could sink into ruin if Congress overturns a decades-old ban on Internet gambling, a University of Illinois professor and national gambling critic warns.

   
Released: 4-May-2009 11:00 AM EDT
Experts Available to Discuss Souter's Replacement
University of Virginia

Two University of Virginia law professors, experts on the Supreme Court and the Constitution, are available to discuss likely successors to David Souter and how the court may change.

Released: 3-May-2009 3:00 PM EDT
RNC Chair Should Drop Fight on Spending Controls, Professor Says
Vanderbilt University

Michael Steele should embrace a proposed system of checks and balances on the RNC chairman's spending power, says political scientist Carol Swain. Steele has blasted a proposal to impose new controls on his power to award contracts and spend money on legal and other services. Swain said that this has become an unnecessary distraction for the GOP.

Released: 1-May-2009 1:00 PM EDT
Replacing David Souter
University of Maryland, College Park

"Perhaps the most interesting dynamic from the impending resignation of Justice David Souter is that it creates a vacancy so early in President Obama's term. The most recent incidents of such an early vacancy both resulted in dramatic and significant appointments," says University of Maryland's Trevor Parry-Giles, an expert on SCOTUS nominations.

Released: 1-May-2009 12:00 PM EDT
Will a Bad Economy Hurt Democracy?
Vanderbilt University

Results from the latest AmericasBarometer Survey showing what the impact of worldwide economic decline might mean for democratic consolidation in Latin America will be presented on May 8 at the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington, D.C. Political scientists Mitchell Seligson and Elizabeth Zechmeister are the presenters.

Released: 27-Apr-2009 3:00 PM EDT
It's Official: U.S. Intelligence Unit Gets Permanent Home
University of Maryland, College Park

The US Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity officially got a permanent home today as the University of Maryland and Director of National Intelligence dedicated its new facility at the University's research park. IARPA's mission is to invest in high-risk, high-payoff research to yield overwhelming intelligence advantage over future adversaries.

Released: 27-Apr-2009 12:00 AM EDT
Professor Writes First Comprehensive Study of Chinese Criminal Justice System
Indiana University

Book by Indiana University historian examines criminal justice in China since late imperial period; provides new details about extent of labor camps in 1950s and '60s

Released: 23-Apr-2009 1:45 PM EDT
State of the Federal Workforce: Re-Engineer for 21st Century, Says Expert
University of Maryland, College Park

"Using the term 'the federal personnel system' is a stretch. The prime instinct of most federal agencies is that, if they can find a way to break out of the existing system, they'll do so...We must lower the procedural barriers to recruiting the best workers into federal service." -Donald F. Kettl, incoming Public Policy dean,University of Maryland.

Released: 22-Apr-2009 8:45 PM EDT
Homeland Security Experts Recommends US/Canada Joint Threat Assessment
George Washington University

The Homeland Security Policy Institute (HSPI) announces the release of its latest Commentary, "Canada and the United States: Time for a Joint Threat Assessment?" authored by HSPI's Sharon Cardash, associate director; Frank Cilluffo, director; and James Jay Carafano, senior fellow. The authors outline the shape that a joint threat assessment could take in terms of both substance and process.

Released: 22-Apr-2009 3:00 PM EDT
Saying It Again: Psychologists May Never Participate in Torture
American Psychological Association (APA)

Let's set the record straight: It is a clear violation of professional ethics for a psychologist to have played a role in the torture of CIA detainees, as described in the recently released Bush administration memos. These Justice Department documents, which purport to offer medical and scientific justification for torturing detainees, are chilling in their dispassionate analysis of how far to push a human being for the purpose of eliciting national security-related information.

Released: 20-Apr-2009 11:15 AM EDT
Obama's 100 Days: Fast Moves Need More Thought, Says New UM Public Policy Dean
University of Maryland, College Park

President Obama's first 100 days have been marked by lightning-fast changes, not fully thought out, that are in the process of redefining the role of government, says Donald Kettl, incoming dean of the University of Maryland School of Public Policy and an expert in government management. "While surely needed, they are unrolling without assessment of long-term effects."

Released: 14-Apr-2009 2:40 PM EDT
Transforming Government: Change or Risk Failure
University of Maryland, College Park

Governments at all levels must make major changes or risk failure in the face of unprecedented challenges, says the new dean of the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, Don Kettl. An expert in transforming government, he says the US must get "real smart, real fast." Despite the stimulus, state governments face a "fiscal time bomb."

Released: 10-Apr-2009 4:05 PM EDT
Health Undervalued in Reproductive Rights Debate
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Women's health is increasingly undervalued in conflicts over reproductive rights, including clashes based on moral objections under so-called conscience clauses, a new study by a University of Illinois legal expert found.

Released: 7-Apr-2009 2:00 PM EDT
Suburbs Must Coordinate to Serve Growing Poor Population
University of Illinois Chicago

Chicago's suburbs cannot meet their populations' growing need for social services like food pantries, emergency assistance, health care and homeless shelters through the current decentralized system, according to a new report by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago who recommend multiple layers of coordination.

Released: 2-Apr-2009 1:45 PM EDT
Study Suggests Rigid Legislation Is the Wrong Way to Address Stem-Cell Research
University of Alberta

It's a very exciting time in the field of stem-cell research as scientists around the world are finding new sources for creating stem cells. For example, in the United States, President Barack Obama has lifted the ban on federal funding for stem-cell research. But with these advances comes challenges for governments who need to create legislation for the controversial research.

Released: 1-Apr-2009 3:35 PM EDT
HSPI Releases Task Force Report on the Future of the Homeland Security Council
George Washington University

The report is the product of a bipartisan Task Force composed of former senior federal officials, practitioners at the state and local levels, and subject matter experts in the area of homeland security policymaking. Co-chaired by HSPI Director Frank Cilluffo and Deputy Director Daniel Kaniewski, the Task Force identified and reviewed arguments for and against merging the Homeland Security Council and National Security Council, and also assessed crucial factors that merit consideration whether or not there is a merger.



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